Safety Topics

Overexertion and bodily reaction is the second leading nonfatal injury or illness event involving days away from work, representing 22% of all such injuries. Prior to 2020, overexertion and bodily reaction was the leading cause of nonfatal cases but was overtaken by exposure to harmful substances or environment. In 2020, 7 workers died and 255,490 were injured. This category includes several types of injury events:

• Usually a non-impact injury or illness resulting from excessive physical effort directed at an outside source of injury or illness. Common worker activities include:
  • Lifting
  • Pulling
  • Pushing
  • Holding
  • Carrying
  • Throwing

• Injuries or illnesses resulting from motion that imposes stress or strain on some part of the body due to the repetitive nature of the task. There is typically no strenuous effort (such as heavy lifting). Common worker activities include:
  • Typing, texting, using a mouse
  • Repetitive use of tools like screwdrivers, knives, musical instruments, or medical instruments

• Injuries or illnesses resulting from a single or prolonged instance of free bodily motion. Common worker activities include:
  • Bending
  • Crawling
  • Reaching
  • Twisting
  • Climbing
  • Kneeling
  • Walking or running without other incident (such as falls to a lower level or on the same level)

This infographic provides an overview of the nonfatal trends involving days away from work, including nature of injury, part of body injured, and industry. Explore the data details tab for information on fatal injuries, injury rates, and historic trends.